NAWC Committees

Communications Committee

Chairman: Laura Monica, American Water
Staff Liaison: Jessica Knight

NAWC is the premier resource on private water and wastewater issues. As water takes center stage in conversations around kitchen tables, pressrooms and in the halls of state capitals across the country, the need for accurate and reliable information about the U.S. water supply and infrastructure from the system managers who know and protect it best increases.

Made up of the industry’s best community outreach educators and writers, the Communications Committee (C2) develops and blasts out clear and effective messages about water providers, while reinforcing the positive reputation of NAWC member companies. The Committee meets monthly, while its sub-committees address topics including planning, research, branding and media relations more regularly.

Customer Service Committee

Chairman: Margaret Neafsey, American Water
Staff Liaison: Carlos Villanueva

NAWC’s Customer Service Committee highlights the importance of the relationship between the utility and its customers. Focusing on policies, technologies and training, members establish communications tools and procedures to promote efficient and consistent customer service. The Committee meets quarterly by teleconference, meets at the Annual Conference and attends site visits to learn first-hand of customer service best practices.

Finance/Accounting/Taxation Committee

Chairman: Dave Smeltzer, Aqua America
Staff Liaison: Mike Horner

The Finance Committee oversees on key industry issues relating to the business side of responsible water management. These issues may range from specific events of concern – such as changes in accounting rules or tax rules -- to broader issues such as the impact of the economy on how member companies do business. The Committee meets quarterly by teleconference. A subcommittee of the group focuses specifically on taxation related issues.

Government Relations Committee

Chairman: Chris Franklin, Aqua America
Staff Liaison: Erika Berlinghof

The Government Relations Committee (GRC) is one NAWC’s most active, meeting several times a year and overseeing the entire government relations portfolio. The GRC reviews legislation and legislative projects, and recommends positions, priorities, and strategies to the Board of Directors.

The GRC also hosts a “Congressional Fly-In” each spring, to educate Washington decision makers on the NAWC and our legislative priorities. The NAWC Political Action Committee also falls under the GRC jurisdiction, and allows the NAWC to fully participate in the political process by supporting candidates for federal public office.

Partnerships Committee

Chairman: Laurent Auguste, Veolia Water
Staff Liaison: Jessica Knight

While public-private partnerships between municipalities and private water providers have been innovative solutions for US cities to lower costs since the ‘70s, as well as to guarantee performance and safety compliance, only recently did these companies join the ranks of the NAWC. This ‘partnership’ with the privately owned water utilities which were the core of NAWC since 1895, brings a powerful new voice to the private water service provider industry.

The Partnership Committee’s mission is three-fold – to enable NAWC to communicate the sustainable benefits enjoyed by the over 2,000 municipalities in partnerships today, to educate and join hands with like-minded organizations and finally to hold up the PPP-model as this industry’s blueprint for growth. This advisory committee includes top executives from some of the nation’s largest water companies, and convenes quarterly via teleconference.

Regulatory Law and Rates Committee

Chairman: Walton Hill, United Water
Staff Liaison: Sharon Gascon

The Regulatory Law and Rates Committee is designed to afford NAWC’s members with an opportunity to share ideas and exchange information on state economic regulatory and legal issues, and best regulatory practices. The Committee advises the Board of Directors regarding the need for regulatory research on specific issues of importance to members and regulators, and promotes sound regulatory principles and procedures. The Committee meets three times a year by teleconference and during the Association’s Annual Conference.

Security & Safety Committee

Chairman: William Komlanos, American Water
Staff Liaison: Cade Clark

On security issues, the Committee provides a forum for members to discuss common areas of concern, including promoting tools or procedures that they have found beneficial. In addition the Committee provides input and guidance on specific security requests made by Congress, Department of Homeland Security, Environmental Protection Agency and the Water Sector Coordinating Committee.

The Committee also serves as a forum to share best practices on health and safety initiatives as well as a resource to members, keeping them apprised of regulatory requirements, safety developments and other issues pertinent to NAWC members.

Small Companies Committee

Chairman: Eric Olsen, Shorelands Water
Staff Liaison: Erika Berlinghof

The NAWC Small Companies Committee (SCC) provides a forum for idea exchange for companies serving fewer than 10,000 customers. These companies face unique management issues associated with small staffs and economies of scale. The committed managers and owners of these companies meet via conference call and annually at the NAWC Annual Conference.

NAWC has been able to offer services to its small company members throughout the years. Through active committee volunteer participation, the committee was able to identify utility insurance coverage as a particularly trying problem for small companies and negotiate with an insurance provider to establish workable terms.